Law & Disorder —

The Internet asks Obama for pot

Barack Obama is holding a press conference with the Internet... and the …

In this time of economic crisis, the American people have one question above all for Barack Obama: Mr. President, will you pass the Dutchie?

Admittedly it's not their only question, but as online voting closes on user-submitted queries the president is slated to tackle this morning at 11:30 Eastern in an "Open for Questions" online town hall, the top questions in several issue categories urge Obama to consider legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana. During the campaign, Obama expressed his willingness to countenance medical marijuana use, and his new attorney general has already announced an end to federal raids on marijuana dispensaries that are legal under state law.

So why the sudden spike in interest? Doubtless much of the credit here goes to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which has been urging supporters for months to use the Google Moderator-based platform to vote up questions about... well, the reform of marijuana laws. Then again, plenty of other interest groups have been trying to do the same thing with their own pet issues—NORML has been particularly successful.

One possible reason why is that public opinion has been trending much more favorably toward decriminalization, with recent surveys showing upwards of 40 percent amenable to the notion. The issue doesn't come up much, in part because drug warriors consistently refuse to debate reform advocates for fear of "legitimizing" them—a tactic that seems to have worked. Conventional activism is somewhat limited by the fact that, de facto, you can in fact get away with smoking pot provided you don't draw too much attention to yourself. Absent a news hook, the fact that a significant minority of Americans disagree with current policy remains below the journalistic radar most of the time. So while the slew of pot-related questions may have a whiff of astroturfing (among other things) about it, arguably it shows that the system is working by elevating genuine concerns neglected by media gatekeepers. Of course, whether the moderators decide to ask Obama any of these questions is another matter entirely. Update: Actually, Obama broached the subject himself, but laughed it off. It'd be interesting to see whether sustained pressure will force a more serious response, or just lead to the removal of such questions.

you know the economy kinda sucks right now,why not legalize the biggest cash crop in the U.S.? 1.1 million kilos seized coming from mexico alone,lowball prices at $1000 a kilo and that's $1.1 billion seized coming from mexico alone. Now imagine the profits from what wasn't seized.Can we say sweet,sweet tax money? source of seizure info is http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs31/31379/marijuan.htm

Hemp for uses other than getting high should be high on the list too. Breed it without the 'active ingredients' and it would probably of much less interest to most of the advocates though.

Can you grow hemp at all down in the US? Up here in Canada you can buy hemp seed food products down at the health food store. We generally don't have milk in the house. One of the milk substitutes we use is hemp "milk", including for our toddler daughter.

My dad has considered seeding some acres to it on his farm. It does require a few extra legal hurdles beyond what you normally have for growing a crop. A little fuzzy on the details but as I understand it you have to apply for a criminal background check, and have to submit a crop sample to confirm THC levels are negligible.

Obama will just give his stock 'drugs are bad' answer regarding legalization. It's too soon politically to bring this up at the national level. One glimmer of hope is that Eric Holder said he would only allow his justice department to raid dispensaries if they violate both federal and state law, so at best we might get some kind of placating support of states' rights, allowing progress where local political sentiment allows (pro-legalization is a solid majority in the Western states).

I will be shocked if the question is even allowed to come up. Pleasantly shocked, but I really don't see it happening. I agree with WiseWeasel, the only hope is that the feds quietly back off enough that local state momentum can build a little and perhaps move the national debate forward a few inches.

Legalize it and tax it. Also don't put any idiotic restrictions on it. Let it be grown wherever and however (it will be anyway just like now). I don't smoke pot (instead I poison my liver with binge drinking which is perfectly legal) but with an increasingly violent drug war on our border and in cities and towns across America it is time to end our idiotic policy of drug prohibition. It has failed and it is time to admit that. Drug prohibition is not compatible with a free society for several reasons.

1. It results in mass violations of civil liberties in order to be enforced. Every one of the amendments in the US Bill of Rights is being violated by the policies used to enforce drug prohibition. We have a growing police state in the US and it is a direct result of drug prohibition.

2. It suggests that we are not free people but slaves, or serfs, of the government who through such policies claim ownership rights to our bodies and tells us what can and can not be placed in them or how we can use them. Self-ownership is the primary basis for every other right we may claim to have and drug prohibition clearly violates it. People do make mistakes and drugs are bad for you, (like drinking too much, overeating, etc) but prohibiting them and then creating the largest prison system in the history of the world and causing the creation of massive drug gangs is no way to deal with what is nothing more than a medical problem. Vices are not crimes. Throwing people in a cage for years where they are likely to be raped, beaten, and tortured helps no one.

3. It is the illegality of drugs that results in most of the bad consequences that we associate with drug use. All drugs used to be legal in the United States until the Progressive Era. People like to alter their state of mind and we have been unable to stop people from doing so almost every time any kind of prohibition has been tried. The only successful drug prohibition to my knowledge was Opium prohibition under Mao's totalitarian regime in China, when his regime would execute someone on the spot for drug use or peddling. Now that the Chinese have more freedom again drug use is increasing as well.

It is time to legalize all voluntary activities, starting with the legalization of marijuana.

If this nation is going to add this or anything else to the collection of legally-usable drugs, then (a) there has to be an easily-applicable test to determine whether or not a person is impaired while using it (similar to the breathalyzer for alcohol) and (b) there has to be a legal framework to be able to assess level of impairment and then take appropriate action relative to job performance, vehicle operation, machine operation, etc.

Some will resist this on various pretexts. However, adults are willing to be held accountable for all of their actions regardless of their state of being. Are the folks supporting this willing to support the development, maintenance, and use of tools, standards, and legal framework necessary for people to be held squarely accountable here? If not, they are not adults, regardless of their physical age; functioning adults therefore have no requirement to consider seriously their desires regarding changing standards of acceptable behavior.

It will be interesting to see if the advocates for this are willing to step up to the necessary level of accountability. I suspect they will not be, but I could certainly be wrong.

Arclight, we already have those tools. They're called field sobriety tests, drug tests, etc.

They need to just legalize pot and get on with it. Some folks need it in order to function properly. I dated a girl who was bi-polar, but was a completely normal, productive citizen when she would smoke pot on a regular basis. When she was out, she'd start to slide into manic-depressive episodes. She'd been to doctors who gave her drugs for her bi-polar disorder, and they always caused detrimental side-effects, like causing depression (IE: got rid of the mania totally, so only depression remained), or turning her into an insomniac. Smoking pot was her way of treating the problem herself in a reasonable fashion.

There will be folks who abuse it, just as folks abuse alcohol. But if someone's going to make money off it, why not the US gov't? Create some standardization in THC content, etc, that way folks know they're getting a quality product. Eliminate our "need" to rely on "foreign competitors" that ship it in.

However, just because I'm for pot (although I don't use it), I think there should be a line drawn regarding other drugs. Afterall, pot mellows people out. But you don't want folks getting high on legalized PCP and running around destroying things in a fit of rage.

Marijuana won't stimulate the economy?? It can be used for a cheap medicine, clothing, housing, fuel. Its only the most abundant source of energy ever created is all. A single tree can take a whole lifetime to mature. A marijuana bush is fully matured in 3 months. Not only could we stop cutting down all of our precious trees, marijuana replenishes our diminishing top soil as well. Legalization of marijuana would create jobs for growers, manufacturers, distributors, and would give the country 30 billion dollars a year in revenue. But as it stands now, the prohibition of marijuana costs the nation 44 billion dollars a year. 1 out of every 3 prisoners are in jail right now, as i am typing this, for simple possession charges. You do the research people, then tell me marijuana cannot stimulate the economy.

Would be very nice to see this taken away as a source of revenue for all the folks down on the border who are shooting the place up.

It never made sense to me that folks think it's ok to force anyone who uses pot to risk their job every time they smoke it. Sure they can just not use it but at the same time being made to pee in a cup? How 1984.

Eh, recreational marijuana is awfully overrated; gimme a beer any day. But anecdotally I've seen that it can help some people deal with chronic pain or the unpleasant sexual side effects of mood stabilizers.

What they should do is e.g. require a doctor evaluation and then issue licenses based on that and a criminal history. Assuming everyone is neurogically uniform is legally understandable, but heavily divorced from reality.

I live in California, and in fact my roommate actually has a medical marijuana prescription. He smokes semi-regularly for major joint pain, and guess what. Its relatively cheap, pretty easy on the body, and basically no detrimental side effects. He treats it just like drinking. Don't drive or do anything similar if he's still feeling it, and its all good. I don't smoke anything at all, and as long as he doesn't blow it in my face its all good, no real major stink like the stuff that won't go away from cigarettes.

But it ain't gonna happen! The argument about taxes is why. Pot want generate tax revenue because it is too easy to grow. Everyone who uses it will grow their own. There is no way to tax that.

This is not a valid argument. It is perfectly legal to avoid taxes by making your own beer and wine (up to 100 gallons per adult per year), and it is neither difficult nor expensive to do so. Yet somehow most liquor stores stay in business. Many, if not most, people will pay for convenience, for a standardized (predictable and "safe") product, and for the cachet of certain brands.

Please, for once, do what respected Ron Paul has suggested. Legalize pot (and all drugs). Use the taxes to advertize the ill effects (if any) of each drug. Freedom! And, no more wasted money on the drug war. Gees! Note: I don't do illegal drugs and won't if they were legalized, I just want people to have the choice without big government coming down on them.

Many, if not most, people will pay for convenience, for a standardized (predictable and "safe") product, and for the cachet of certain brands.

Tobacco is probably an even closer comparison. It is entirely legal to grow your own and I only know a single person that grows their own (he runs his own greenhouse business, and grows for his own use in the corner of it).

Originally posted by moremoremore1:Its only the most abundant source of energy ever created is all.

While I support the complete legalization (and associated taxation) of marijuana, I have a very difficult time believing this statement. A good source of energy, perhaps, but not the most abundant ever.

"... the slew of pot-related questions may have a whiff of astroturfing ..."

I believe it is inappropriate to characterize NORML's advocacy as astroturf, implying that it is fake and represents an imposition of ideas by a narrow elite masquerading as genuine popular sentiment. On the contrary, NORML's coordination of users sympathetic to its point of view represents genuine grassroots or netroots organization. It would qualify as astroturf if a traditional power institution like a corporation or government agency were pouring money into media, using deceptive or manipulative arguments to produce popular sentiment that would otherwise not exist, like with "clean coal" advocacy or the "Fair Tax." Merely organizing and directing such popular sentiment as does exist definitely does not qualify as astroturfing. It's a term of art with a specific meaning and context.

I would point out two things in this regard:

1) NORML in no way represents such a powerful elite. It is a grassroots organization that represents a real and growing segment of (non-drug using) American opinion and has at least since I first encountered them in 1988.

2) NORML has not generated this wave of opinion, which has been apparent for years now. I would say that this argument has been swinging decisively in favor of decriminalization since 2002. The image of DEA agents arresting sick people and shutting down businesses not in violation of state law has done much to move this debate in terms of public sentiment.

Calling NORML's coordination "astroturf" serves only to denigrate and deny this obvious shift in public sentiment and thus represents a retreat from the shifting political realities behind this issue whose time has come. I ask tha you reconsider your use of the term within this context.

I'm going to say what I feel I need to say. Some may severely disagree, some may concur wholeheartedly. I don't care.

The overall vibe in this list of comments is really disappointing to me. "Let's legalize marijuana, and other drugs for that matter.. Yeah, and we can use the tax money yielded to boost the economy.. yeah. And we can make clothes, and heat our homes.. and build cute little Mary Jane bungalows.. it'll be heavenly."

BULLSHIT and FUCK YOU. What the hell is wrong with some of you? I mean seriously.. Are you really this dense, or do you have underlying motives? (Translation: Are you on drugs right now?)

By the way, those of you who say things like, "I don't use illegal drugs at all, but I condone making them legal so that others won't have the government coming down on them, etc, etc.." Again, I say bullshit to most of you.

"It can be used for cheap medicine!" Oh, can it? What kind of 'cheap medicine' can it be used for, exactly? You put something so general out there, now explain what you THINK it can be used for, because I don't believe you know shit, except that Marijuana might help you get your rocks off.

"1 out of every 3 prisoners are in jail right now, as i am typing this, for simple possession charges." Well, I wonder why - Do you think it's because they were caught doing something widely regarded as illegal?? Hmmm. I wonder. If I were seen with hypodermic needles full of heroine on the passenger seat of my car, would you expect that no one would say anything because this was "OK"? If I kicked your ass, do you think someone would start a rally... do you think they'd address the masses, saying "As I stand here, 1 out of every 4 prisoners in jail right now, is there for kicking someone's stupid ass. This has got to stop. We need to legalize the kicking of stupid asses!!!"

So many of the thinly veiled arguments I've seen for legalizing marijuana come across like a deceptive 19-year-old stoner muttered them.

I'm all for medicinal purposes, trust me. I had a Government Teacher with Glaucoma who would smoke every other day and it helped him tremendously. But, do I care to do it myself? Hell no, because I respect my mind and body, and I don't need that kind of escapism. I don't smoke cigarettes for the same reasons. I don't need to add any more carcinogens to my system that aren't already there, or being added as I breathe second-hand cigarette smoke, sometimes against my will - And Marijuana has higher amounts of carcinogens than tobacco. Of course, the potentially higher risk of Cancer is a notion still being deliberated on.

And let's see, we have hallucinogenics like THC thrown in there. Gee, that's probably harmless... Not. Some advocates like mind-altering drugs.. how many choices do they have for getting bombed out of their skulls?

We hear about so many accidents caused by drunk drivers.. so many deaths because people who are partaking in something that is already LEGAL don't even have the ability to recognize with they've had too much. And some of you jackasses want to legalize Marijuana. Ok, that makes complete sense.

Let's try the suggestion by robotic_tourist - Legalize it, but only without the "active ingredients". How would that be? No, most "recreational tokers" would hate that, wouldn't they? Because their lives are pathetic enough already.. not getting their "high" would make it even worse. It would be like drinking O'Doul's when you really want a Guinness. And guess what; they'd continue to attempt possessing it illegally.

Recently, I was out with a few friends and, just as sometimes happens, I met a couple of new people who were friends of friends. One of the guys in particular looked to be about 20 years old. My initial assessment of him was less than stellar. I thought to myself "Yeah, he looks like 'bong-hitting' drop-out". It was the way he spoke, dressed, and behaved. He was tall and spindly, spoke like a surfer-boy with a beer buzz going on, and dressed like a member of Nirvana. I went about my night, and a couple hours later, Slap-Nuts (my name for him) comes up to me and asks if I like "weed". With the look of an unimpressed judge, I simply repeated "Weed". He said, "Yeah, man." as his hand reached into his pocket and emerged with a small baggie, "This is the best. Smell it - It's the best smell in the world." I said "No, thanks, I don't need that shit. Apparently you do, so enjoy."What I really wanted, was to punch him dead in his stupid motherfucking face, with enough force to shatter his orbital socket. The dude was a loser, just like some of those who want Marijuana legalized.

Believe me, I am aware of good intentions out there, those who want it used for everything else, but another way to get "fucked up". Unfortunately, in a case like this, the negatives outweigh the positive, so there will NEVER be free reign. Special permissions can be applied for, but you'll never see Marijuana sold at your local grocery store.

And you know what's funny - There are those of you who complain about the Government having too much control over this, and over that. But it's partly because of the "screw-ups" of the world that there are so many rules, and many are, indeed, ridiculous. Humanity is not perfect and never EVER will be. Humanity cannot survive without rules. Laws are made mostly out of necessity, and greatly out of precedents. Imagine the reaction of those who witnessed the very first murdering of another human in cold blood. Do you think they said.. "Hmm.. well, I guess the other guy just didn't like him very much"? No, I don't think so. They probably thought it was atrocious, it was wrong, and something should be put into place to make it understood that this would not be tolerated, nor condoned, and there would be repercussions for those who would defy this idea.To me, most "recreational drugs" fall into this category.

I've heard the idea that we should legalize all drugs to end the drug wars.. Do you people even think of fallout from that? You think drug use is bad now? I imagine a world where half the population screws up their minds so badly that they can't even function. They can't distinguish fantasy from reality anymore. They can't appreciate the value of their own life, let alone that of another. What kind of world would it create for our children? How would some of these people even raise their children? Hell, I'm not saying some of the sober parents can even do that, but factor in the complication.

We often need guidance on what is right, wrong, and even morally borderline. We never stop needing guidance - We start this from childhood - Our parents guide us, teach us right from wrong. They tell us what they will and will not accept from us. As we grow, most of us take what we learn and apply it to our lives. We become smart and respectable, or we become stupid and disregarded... or something in between. Then most of us have children, to which we impart our knowledge and experiences upon... And the cycle starts over. Throughout all of this, we have rules of the Government to abide by. A Government voted on by the people. A people that I believe to be an intelligent majority. There are some mistakes here and there, as we all know, but for the most part, I think they've got it right. Marijuana stays illegal.

Originally posted by Taju:BULLSHIT and FUCK YOU. What the hell is wrong with some of you? I mean seriously.. Are you really this dense, or do you have underlying motives? (Translation: Are you on drugs right now?)

No, I'm afraid it's "Fuck YOU". You're just another bigot who doesn't actually know much about it. I can tell by the tone of your post and the mistakes you've made.

The harm that cannabis use does, is not proportional to the crime it is treated as. The harm done to society by the "War on Drugs" far outweighs the harm done by the drugs themselves. You can keep your ignorant view of it. Where I come from a sizable portion of the population uses it (and more who wouldn't admit it), and have been doing so for decades. They have homes and families and jobs and they don't get in their cars and kill people like drunks.

The drug laws themselves are what make "losers" out of people who use cannabis. Not only people languishing in prison, but in your oppressive country, you can't even work because of drug testing. When so many people run afoul of a law that doesn't serve them, it's time to re-evaluate the law.

It's a scam... the governments make billions on taxing more harmful substances.

"It can be used for cheap medicine!" Oh, can it? What kind of 'cheap medicine' can it be used for, exactly? You put something so general out there, now explain what you THINK it can be used for, because I don't believe you know shit, except that Marijuana might help you get your rocks off.

I have Crohn's disease, which means my immune system attacks my own intestine. I suffer from loss of appetite. Sometimes, I think I should eat food, but I really don't want to force myself to eat. Marijuana has helped me gain appetite. Unfortunately because of policies at workplaces, I have had to stop using to get a job in engineering.

Originally posted by Taju:BULLSHIT and FUCK YOU. What the hell is wrong with some of you? I mean seriously.. Are you really this dense, or do you have underlying motives? (Translation: Are you on drugs right now?)

No, I'm afraid it's "Fuck YOU". You're just another bigot who doesn't actually know much about it. I can tell by the tone of your post and the mistakes you've made.

The harm that cannabis use does, is not proportional to the crime it is treated as. The harm done to society by the "War on Drugs" far outweighs the harm done by the drugs themselves. You can keep your ignorant view of it. Where I come from a sizable portion of the population uses it (and more who wouldn't admit it), and have been doing so for decades. They have homes and families and jobs and they don't get in their cars and kill people like drunks.

The drug laws themselves are what make "losers" out of people who use cannabis. Not only people languishing in prison, but in your oppressive country, you can't even work because of drug testing. When so many people run afoul of a law that doesn't serve them, it's time to re-evaluate the law.

It's a scam... the governments make billions on taxing more harmful substances.

You know what, pal, by the very definition of the word "Bigot", this can be applied to you, as well.

And, you have no earthly idea what I know - Just the fact that you'd make an audacious statement alluding to such a thing shows me that you may, in fact, be the ignorant one. "I can tell by the tone of your post and the mistakes you've made." Oh? And what's the tone of my post? What mistakes have a made? I can point out a mistake YOU'VE made - claiming that I live in an "oppressive country". I'm actually above insulting your country.. I'll leave others to that.

Do you have any children? Because I'd like to try an experiment... Let's hypothesize... Say you have a 13 year old daughter. Let's have your daughter smoke 1 joint every couple of days. Would you agree to that? (I chose the age of 13 because I think that's about a safe age to say when a person might get into smoking cigarettes.)

So, would you like for your daughter to smoke about 2 to 3 joints a week for an indefinite amount of time? List your reasons for or against.

"It can be used for cheap medicine!" Oh, can it? What kind of 'cheap medicine' can it be used for, exactly? You put something so general out there, now explain what you THINK it can be used for, because I don't believe you know shit, except that Marijuana might help you get your rocks off.

I have Crohn's disease, which means my immune system attacks my own intestine. I suffer from loss of appetite. Sometimes, I think I should eat food, but I really don't want to force myself to eat. Marijuana has helped me gain appetite. Unfortunately because of policies at workplaces, I have had to stop using to get a job in engineering.

This comment was edited by nathematics on April 06, 2009 02:59

I mean no offense to you when I say this, but I think you missed something in my posted response.

I said, "I'm all for medicinal purposes, trust me. I had a Government Teacher with Glaucoma who would smoke every other day and it helped him tremendously."

I also said, "Believe me, I am aware of good intentions out there, those who want it used for everything else, but another way to get "fucked up". Unfortunately, in a case like this, the negatives outweigh the positive, so there will NEVER be free reign. Special permissions can be applied for, but you'll never see Marijuana sold at your local grocery store."

So, in your case, if it can be proven Marijuana eases your symptoms, the doctor can vouch for you, help you apply for a "license" or what have you, then there's nothing wrong. In that same process, I'd want for you to have documentation to give to your employer explaining your condition and the prescription you are under. Then, you'd still have your employment, as long as the special privileges weren't abused, and it didn't impair your judgment, job functionality, etc. It would be complicated, but I think it could be worked out somehow. If my Governement teacher could get a prescription, you could, I would think.

Originally posted by Taju:"It can be used for cheap medicine!" Oh, can it? What kind of 'cheap medicine' can it be used for, exactly? You put something so general out there, now explain what you THINK it can be used for, because I don't believe you know shit, except that Marijuana might help you get your rocks off.

Medically, it appears to relieve convulsion, inflammation, anxiety, and nausea, and to inhibit cancer cell growth. Recent studies have shown cannabidiol to be as effective as atypical antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia.

In November 2007 it was reported that CBD reduces growth of aggressive human breast cancer cells in vitro and reduces their invasiveness. It thus represents the first non-toxic exogenous agent that can lead to down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness. It is also a neuroprotective antioxidant.

quote:

Originally posted by Taju:"1 out of every 3 prisoners are in jail right now, as i am typing this, for simple possession charges." Well, I wonder why - Do you think it's because they were caught doing something widely regarded as illegal??

Yeah, that's the point. It's widely regarded as illegal because it is illegal. Some of us think the law is inappropriate.

quote:

Originally posted by Taju:I'm going to say what I feel I need to say. Some may severely disagree, some may concur wholeheartedly. I don't care.

The overall vibe in this list of comments is really disappointing to me.

You say you don't care, but in the next breath you admit that you are disappointed. I'm glad you said what you felt you needed to say, but it's too bad you won't try to see things from another point of view.

Originally posted by errittus:Taju, . . Relax. In fact - you might wanna smoke a bowl. I think you're a bit too wound up, ya know. With the desire to shatter peeps orbital sockets and such.

Ok, that was funny. Quite honestly, I watched my 2 brothers descend into a downward spiral when one drug led to another. They both started out smoking joints.. Now one of them can't even function as the average human being can. His logic is as fragmented as a broken mirror - And he will be this way the rest of his life. Perhaps I am a bit biased, or too passionate on this subject, but I just don't understand why some people's need to get high exceeds their desire to keep their body clean.

Originally posted by Taju:"It can be used for cheap medicine!" Oh, can it? What kind of 'cheap medicine' can it be used for, exactly? You put something so general out there, now explain what you THINK it can be used for, because I don't believe you know shit, except that Marijuana might help you get your rocks off.

You say "get your rocks off" like it's a bad thing.

-- Obviously, you may be one of those who feels the need to get high for some reason.. escapism? Don't need it in my life.

Medically, it appears to relieve convulsion, inflammation, anxiety, and nausea, and to inhibit cancer cell growth. Recent studies have shown cannabidiol to be as effective as atypical antipsychotics in treating schizophrenia.

In November 2007 it was reported that CBD reduces growth of aggressive human breast cancer cells in vitro and reduces their invasiveness. It thus represents the first non-toxic exogenous agent that can lead to down-regulation of tumor aggressiveness. It is also a neuroprotective antioxidant.

quote:

Originally posted by Taju:"1 out of every 3 prisoners are in jail right now, as i am typing this, for simple possession charges." Well, I wonder why - Do you think it's because they were caught doing something widely regarded as illegal??

Yeah, that's the point. It's widely regarded as illegal because it is illegal. Some of us think the law is inappropriate.

quote:

Originally posted by Taju:I'm going to say what I feel I need to say. Some may severely disagree, some may concur wholeheartedly. I don't care.

The overall vibe in this list of comments is really disappointing to me.

You say you don't care, but in the next breath you admit that you are disappointed. I'm glad you said what you felt you needed to say, but it's too bad you won't try to see things from another point of view.

--I'm disappointed that so many people want marijuana and/or other drugs legalize. When I said that I didn't care, I was referring to whether or not others agree or disagree with my opinions.As for seeing things from another's point of view, have I not done this by agreeing to medicinal purposes of marijuana? Am I "close-minded" now because I don't agree with people who want marijuana sold as gas stations so they can fill their tank and buy a pack of joints to toke on the road?

Taju - Now the history of your situation comes to light. I'm sorry people close to you are burnouts. Really, I am. I'd hate it too. I can relate to you're abhorrence of pot if it contributed to loved ones "downward spiral".

My dad is an alcoholic. Interestingly, I don't drink much. But I don't harbor hate against alcohol. I detest those who won't moderate themselves.

Moderation is the key to anything - I just wish Uncle Sam would let me moderate my self.

Originally posted by Taju:Obviously, you may be one of those who feels the need to get high for some reason.. escapism? Don't need it in my life.

Obviously I may be "one of those"? I'm glad you feel confident second-guessing my motives for what I may or may not do in my own free time. Don't need it in your life? Good for you. Don't do it.

quote:

Originally posted by Taju:

quote:

Originally posted by wiz420:

quote:

Originally posted by Taju:I'm going to say what I feel I need to say. Some may severely disagree, some may concur wholeheartedly. I don't care.

The overall vibe in this list of comments is really disappointing to me.

You say you don't care, but in the next breath you admit that you are disappointed. I'm glad you said what you felt you needed to say, but it's too bad you won't try to see things from another point of view.

--I'm disappointed that so many people want marijuana and/or other drugs legalize. When I said that I didn't care, I was referring to whether or not others agree or disagree with my opinions.As for seeing things from another's point of view, have I not done this by agreeing to medicinal purposes of marijuana? Am I "close-minded" now because I don't agree with people who want marijuana sold as gas stations so they can fill their tank and buy a pack of joints to toke on the road?

I still fail to understand. You are disappointed that so many people have opinions contrary to yours, yet you don't care if they disagree with your opinions?

I don't call you "close-minded" because you disagree with me. I simply resent the lack of respect implied by your name-calling.

Originally posted by Taju:What kind of world would it create for our children

One where parents have to raise them responsibly and educate them on the dangers of drugs instead of leaving this kind of stuff to the government, who's going to lock them up for it, putting a burden on society?